Make the most of opportunities!

The Lord has called us to preach the gospel to all creatures, and to make disciples of all nations.

Unfortunately, most believers are disobedient to the Lord’s command!

It is estimated that 95% of believers have never won a soul for Christ. The Church as a whole has lost the desire to reach others for Christ.

Among the remaining 5% that have done, many feel that they are ineffective reaching others.

The problem is that the Lord gives us many opportunities to witness, but we do not take them. A lost opportunity will never come back! We must stay alert to the opportunities to testify and make the most of it.

The Lord gives us many opportunities to witness, but we do not take them. A lost opportunity will never come back! We must stay alert to the opportunities to testify and make the most of it.

This morning, I want to share three pieces of advice to make the most of opportunities and become effective reaching others:

Yield to the voice of the Spirit.

“And He had to pass through Samaria.” 4

In what sense “He had to”? Was He obligated to? Didn’t he have another option?

There were two routes from Jerusalem to Galilee: one was along the coastal area; the other one was through Samaria. Since the Jews saw the Samaritans as defiled for having mixed with Gentiles centuries before, they avoided stepping on defiled Samaritan ground and used the other route. Let’s not forget that Jesus, in His humanity, was a Jew.

Was He obligated to? No! There was no law that forced Him to imitate His discriminatory fellow Jews. Would he be criticized for taking that route? Definitively! Even His own disciples would be surprised by His decision to step on Samaritan ground.

“He had to” because, being omniscient, He knew there was an opportunity to share the gospel, there was a woman in need of salvation.

The Spirit knows the deepest of man’s heart.

Since we are not omniscient, we must learn to yield to the voice of the Spirit. He knows when the person is ready to listen, when the heart is prepared to receive the seed of the Word, or when the moment is propitious to make a presentation of the gospel.

The Spirit will tell you when, but you must learn to hear His whispering. He will give you the “go ahead” or the “not yet”, but you must be sensitive to His voice.

The Spirit told Phillip, “Go up and join this chariot” (); he obeyed the voice and met a man, an Ethiopian, who was ready to receive the gospel. Such man received Christ and was baptized.

The Spirit also spoke to Peter telling that three men were looking for him and instructed him to go with those men sent by the Roman centurion. Peter went, preached the gospel to the centurion’s household, and they received the Lord.

When Paul and his team were preaching in Asia (), they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Why? Because the Spirit knew there was a people ready in Macedonia. The Spirit showed him a vision of a Macedonian man saying, “come and help us”. The gospel reached Europe as a result of Paul yielding to the voice of the Spirit.

If you listen to His voice, the Spirit will lead you to those divine appointments with people that are ready to hear the gospel. Remember, is God himself leading to those in need!

The Spirit gives you the power and the words.

Jesus’ words were clear when He instructed the disciples to be His witnesses:

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

If we try to testify in our own power, we will not convince no one. Can a sinner bring another sinner to conviction? No! Only the Spirit of God can do it!

John 16:7–8 NASB95

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16

He not only leads you to the person, but also He tells you what to say:

Luke 12:11–12 NASB95

“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Luke 12:11-12

Stay focused on the gospel.

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 10

The gospel, the good news, is the announcement of the gift of God, eternal life. Therefore, the devil will do anything possible to avoid or interrupt the preaching of the gospel.

Talking about sin is necessary.

The woman heard the news and was excited about that living water: “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way her to draw.” 15

Jesus answered to that with a “first, we need to talk about sin and repentance”. He said to her, “Go. call your husband and come here.”

The good news make no sense if we do not understand the bad news. The bad news is “you are a sinner and hell is waiting for you”.

No one likes to be confronted with his sin. Man either tries to hide it or excuse it: “I have no husband” was her answer.

If he can not excuse it, he will try to change the topic: “What is the right place to worship?” 20

Go back to the gospel.

God has not called us to win theological discussions, but to present the simplicity of the gospel.

Let’s be alert to any deviation of the presentation and go back to the matter that snatch the souls from the devil’s hand. That is what Jesus did with this woman; He answered her question, but went back to the heart of the matter: salvation in Him through faith!

John 4:23–24 NASB95

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

john 4:23-24

Focus on receptive people.

The woman believed, left her waterpot, and went to her town to tell them about Jesus. Many in her town believed because of her testimony, but they wanted to know more, their spiritual appetite was awaken...

“So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them...” Jesus saw their interest in learning and stayed there two days teaching them the Word. They were receptive!

“Do not waste your ammo on vultures!” is a common saying. In biblical form, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine”.

In other words, do not waste your time on non-receptive people!

Jesus instructed His disciples:

Luke 10:5-9

Luke 10:5–9 NASB95

“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

If they are receptive, stay with them!

If they are not receptive:

Luke 10:10–11 NASB95

“But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’

luke 10

Let’s look for those that are receptive and let’s bring them to Jesus!